Gabriella M Reads

My decision for 2021 was to split my reading plans into quarters and so far that plan is working. In the first three months of the year I have been able to finish six whole books! I am so proud of myself! I started off the year with a book I already knew that I was going to love, Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer. Needless to say I was not wrong. Reliving the book from Edward's point of view brought new life to a story that I have loved for so long. I would read the whole series from his point of view if I could. I also read a short poetry book called 2 AM Thoughts which was as enjoyable as every poetry book that I have read. I mostly read poetry when I am looking for comfort and it typically works out as planned. However, The Messengers was not as great for me. I can see why people enjoy it for its social commentary, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Alas, the long awaited return of Sarah J Maas to the beautiful world that she created. A Court of Silver Flames was more than I co...

Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks & Ted Caplan 5 Stars This book caught my eye when I was roaming the isles at my local Barnes & Noble while waiting for an appointment to start. How could I resist a young adult novel addressing such a controversial topic? Well the obvious answer is that I couldn't. Veronica is a seventeen year-old, straight A student who finds herself pregnant. Unpregnant follows Veronica on her journey to procure an abortion. Her journey is filled with all kinds of hilarity and roadblocks that only prove her determination to secure the future that she has envisioned for herself. I have seen a few negative reviews for this book simply based on the abortion factor and how having a baby does not ruin a girl's life. However, it does not try and hide the content that is within so I would shy away if that is upsetting to you. I will say Unpregnant is not a campaign about teen pregnancy ruining one's life. I honestly really appreciated the read. Not everything...

  A serpent's kiss, a frozen heart. Bewitching, wicked, perfect, beastly. Ask me how I got here. What happens now? Just a little book title poetry. I hope you enjoyed something a little different. Feel free to share your own book title poem in the comments. I would love to hear them! Xoxo, Gabriella

This post is almost a year overdue. I never realized that I didn't post it. So if you're here reading it despite how late it is, thank you. Wow, what a month March has been. Is anyone going a little stir crazy being inside? I'm still working, both from home and also on campus, so I have plenty to keep my mind busy. I am here to talk if anyone needs it. Now let's get to the wrap-up. I was able to finish four books last month. I started my month with two picture books that were written by Jonathan Stutzman. Llama Destroys the World, illustrated by Heather Fox, was definitely a cute read. I actually find it quite fitting for the current situation, especially the ending. Llamas may not be my favorite animal, but I recommend this one for anyone looking for a smile. Next came Tiny the T-Rex and the Very Dark Dark, illustrated by Jay Fleck. I was excited for this one since I really enjoyed the first book, Tiny the T-Rex and the Impossible Hug. Needless to say, I was not disa...

About the Book Seventeen-year-old Raychel is sleeping with two boys: her overachieving best friend Matt…and his slacker brother, Andrew. Raychel sneaks into Matt’s bed after nightmares, but nothing ever happens. He doesn’t even seem to realize she’s a girl, except when he decides she needs rescuing. But Raychel doesn't want to be his girl anyway. She just needs his support as she deals with the classmate who assaulted her, the constant threat of her family’s eviction, and the dream of college slipping quickly out of reach. Matt tries to help, but he doesn’t really get it… and he’d never understand why she’s fallen into a secret relationship with his brother. The friendships are a precarious balance, and when tragedy strikes, everything falls apart. Raychel has to decide which pieces she can pick up – and which ones are worth putting back together. Add it on Goodreads ! Order now from: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Book Depository | Book Outlet The In...

The Opposite of Innocent by Sonya Sones 5 Stars I was originally pulled into The Opposite of Innocent because of the cover, but once I looked it up and saw what it was about I knew that I needed to read it. Luckily for me Emma from Miss Print had an ARC up for adoption through her ARC Adoption program and I was able to get my hands on it pretty quickly. So thank you, Emma. I finished it in one sitting. The Opposite of Innocent is about a girl who has had a crush on a friend of her parents since she was little and now that she's grown their relationship becomes extremely inappropriate. I really wanted to see how this all panned out especially being written in verse. I was curious how enough detail could fit into the story in such a short amount of time. Sonya did a good job with this one. I felt for Lily and while Luke seemed to be a prince, his colors were shown slowly but surely. I think some could see this as a way to spot a snake in the grass. The story is loaded ...

Fat Girl on a Plan by Kelly deVos 5 Stars First I want to thank Kelly for personally handing over her travelling ARC to me at an event last month on a whim. I was so shocked and so thankful. I've been dying to read this one. Fat Girl on a Plane is about a girl who is on a fashion journey. During this journey we see her both as plus size and not which is amazing in my opinion.  Disclaimer : The things I talk about are things Kelly has mentioned in panels, but if you don't want to know too much about the relationships that take place I would skip the last half of this review. Throughout this wonderful debut we see a girl who is trying to pave her way in the world. Cookie is currently a fashion blogger dreaming of being a designer herself. I thought it was awesome to hear that Cookie makes her own clothes and is a huge advocate for how little clothing is available in bigger sizes. I myself have struggled to find clothes that fit me correctly and I have to deal wi...

The Fall of Grace by Amy Fellner Dominy 4.5 Stars I want to preface this by thanking Amy for giving this to me personally at the Tucson Festival of Books after I told her how much I've been dying to read it. She's such a kind human and listening to her speak was wonderful. Now onto the book. The Fall of Grace is about Grace and her life after her mom gets accused of pretty major investment fraud. The book bounces back and forth between right when she finds out and months after which is something I loved. Grace's life as she knows it is falling apart and we get to see how she handles it. The choices she makes as she searches for the truth. I kind of see her as a girl who has lost her way. One who put all of her trust in her mother which is something I do. A mother is supposed to look out for you, teach you. One thing that really grabbed me, other than the mystery aspect, was the fact that she looks to the wilderness to help her. Y'all know I love to escape t...

The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby 5 Stars The thing that initially interested me in The Other Side of Lost was the hiking aspect. I don't know how many of you know this, but I go up to the mountain to clear my head. I hike one trail more often than any other and I find a boulder and climb up high. I sit there. The silence of nature and the fresh air makes me calm, alive, happy even. So whenever I see a book that includes an adventure similar to those I enjoy, I want to read it immediately. The Other Side of Lost is a novel following Mari, a social media star who is just turning 18. Years ago her cousin, who shares the same birthday, and her planned a trip for the day they turned 18. Something amazing for them to experience together. Her cousin is no longer around and in a crisis of self, Mari decides to do it. Alone. When I started the book I couldn't stand Mari. The way she saw the world irritated me. Especially when she complained about it. I couldn't hel...

Hello and welcome to my stop on the Down and Across blog tour! I'm super excited to share this book with y'all as well as my personal thoughts on it! How about we start with the basics? About the Book Discover the secret to success in this incisively funny debut, for fans of John Corey Whaley, David Arnold, and Ned Vizzini! "Quirky and charming, wise and unpredictable." --Khaled Hosseini, #1  New York Times  bestselling author of  The Kite Runner  Scott Ferdowsi has a track record of quitting. Writing the Great American Novel? Three chapters. His summer internship? One week. His best friends know exactly what they want to do with the rest of their lives, but Scott can't commit to a breakfast cereal, let alone a passion. With college applications looming, Scott's parents pressure him to get serious about a career path like engineering or medicine. Desperate for help, he sneaks off to Washington, DC, to seek guidance from a famous professor who spe...

Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda 4 Stars I want to start off by thanking Emma from Miss Print  who allowed me to adopt this ARC through her ARC Adoption program . I am so glad that a program like this exists. It allows smaller bloggers more access to early copies they are looking forward to. I've heard that Megan Miranda is a wonderful author who really knows how to tell a thrilling story. Fragments of the Lost is about Jessa who's ex boyfriend has recently passed away and she ends up being the one with the task of packing up all of his things. As you can imagine, she's searching for a reason why and dissecting what she thought she knew about their relationship and his life. The book starts off with her first appearance at the house after the death of Caleb. We aren't told what happened to him or even why they aren't together anymore. These are the things that kept me going. I'm a big "why" person. Throughout her packing we get ...

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson 5 Stars First I want to thank the Epic Reads Insiders program for providing me with this advanced readers copy. I'm so very happy to have received it. I had been looking forward to Truly Devious ever since I first heard of it. I've entered giveaway after giveaway and lost each time. I was so eager to get my hands on it because I have thing for boarding schools and private schools. Not to mention mysteries. For those of you who haven't heard of Truly Devious yet it follows Stevie, a teenager who is completely engrossed in true crime stories. Particularly the one that took place at Ellingham Academy which she is now enrolled in. She arrives at the school intending to solve the unsolved crime that took place in 1936. We follow her through her investigations and then someone dies. We get to watch as Stevie tries to piece everything together and I LOVED IT. I loved being inside her mind and watching this puzzle come together piece b...

The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed 4.5 Stars I want to start by saying that I fought hard for this book. I requested it on NetGalley, straight from the publisher, lurked on books for trade and I just could not get my hands on it. So when I saw it pop up in the ARC Adoption program run by Emma at Miss Print I practically begged her for it. I got lucky. It may have taken me a while, but here is my review. From the minute I heard about The Nowhere Girls I wanted to get my hands on it. If you've been around for a while then you know I feel a connection to certain books about the hard stuff. Some being mental illnesses, some on assault, bullying, and so many more. The Nowhere Girls centers on rape, consent, breaking the silence and the sad norms surrounding such things. For this exact reason I needed it in my life. To me this book is pretty slow, but very important. The chapters alternate perspectives as a group of girls try to get justice for a fellow teenage girl previo...

Welcome to my second post for the 2017 Debut Author Bash! Today we will be focusing on Stephanie Elliot and her debut novel, Sad Perfect. You can also find information about a giveaway at the end. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! An Essay from Stephanie Elliot This year, my novel  Sad Perfect  debuted in the world. It was a thing that started from a little idea, and then it became two words, and then more words, and then there was a book. I got an agent, I got a publisher, I did edits for about two years, and then, my dream came true. I have a book out there in the world, and yes, it was a dream of mine. It was a dream that I went after, and something I had thought about, wanted to do for a very long time. My dream was accomplished through hard work and determination. I made it happen because I wanted it to happen. You can make your dreams happen too. You want to be a singer? Practice. Take singing lessons. Learn from other singers. You want to dance ...

Hello and welcome to day one of the 2017 Debut Author Bash! This year I'll be doing a couple of days and today is all about Kate Hart! I hope you enjoy! About the Book A YA debut about a teen girl who wrestles with rumors, reputation, and her relationships with two brothers. Seventeen-year-old Raychel is sleeping with two boys: her overachieving best friend Matt…and his slacker brother, Andrew. Raychel sneaks into Matt’s bed after nightmares, but nothing ever happens. He doesn’t even seem to realize she’s a girl, except when he decides she needs rescuing. But Raychel doesn't want to be his girl anyway. She just needs his support as she deals with the classmate who assaulted her, the constant threat of her family’s eviction, and the dream of college slipping quickly out of reach. Matt tries to help, but he doesn’t really get it… and he’d never understand why she’s fallen into a secret relationship with his brother. The friendships are a precarious balance, and when t...

These Things I've Done by Rebecca Phillips 5 Stars Thank you so much to the lovely Eric Smith for sending me one of his agent copies of These Things I've Done for review. I don't know how many of y'all have read the synopsis for this book, but the one line that made me absolutely NEED it was this: "It’s been fifteen months since the accident that killed Aubrey, and not a day goes by that Dara isn’t racked with guilt over her role in her best friend’s death." Specifically the part about her role. It had me intrigued. What was her role? What happened? Why did she leave? Why did she come back? I was full of questions just from the simple summary of the book and I had to have answers. These Things I've Done follows Dara in chapters alternating between her Sophomore year and her senior year in high school. Essentially showing her life before and after the incident that ended up leaving her best friend Aubrey dead. It feels only right to split t...